davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1887-04-14
HINTS ON BUILDING.

Useful Suggestions on Various Matters Of
General Interest.
Never paint kitchen floor-oil and
stain it.
White marble mantels are again
coming into favor.
A coat of coach varnish will keep sap
from striking through painted work.
One of the most desirable paints for
outside work is made from Oxford stone
Ochre.
The proper height for the Dashboard
of q room IS one inch to every foot of
height.
Fence posts immersed in a solution
of coal tar will last for twenty years.
Cedar is the best wood.
Sand stone sustains a pressure of
5, 43O pounds to a cubic inch; lime
stone. 1890 pounds; granite, 1890
pounds.
Newly-plastered walls and newly
LAID shingles should not be painted for
six months. Shrinkage will then be
over.
Sinks for kitchens are now made of
iron enameled, porcelain. soapstone
and crockery-ware. 20x4O is the best
size.
The cause Of many incipient fires is
the faulty construction of chi mney
fues. Always see that they are thor
oughly plastered inside.
A cellar wall should 60 at least four
feet in the ground to be out of the reach
of frost Frost will not penetrate to
any great depth in sandy soil.
See that two nails are put in each
single if you want good. tight roof.
Redwood or cedar shingles are the best
and last the longest Dip shingles in
lime water to make them lasting.
The proper width Of an inside stair
way for dwelling is three feet and
half. The rail should be two feet 70 ur
inches high; the step or rise, six and
three-fourth inches; the tread, ten
inches.-Hlrs National Bull der.
Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1887-04-14


always in season. quite fashionable the
year around. The ground is full OF
worms, which crawl over the sleeper
or day-dreamer indifferently and by
the million. The trees, which offer
hne support and shade for the ham,
mock. are inhabited with all manner of
worm and insect life with and without
legs; bugs. ticks, and other animals,
minute in size but terrible in action.
which drop willfully or accidently upon
the sleeper and promenade with great
effect. If one were even to escape
these pests. the baying of alligators
and serenades of the owls would keep
him awake. For pure and unadulterated
enjoyment the Everglades are not
paradise.
Fur-bearing mammals inhabit the
Everglades in great numbers. The
wildcat is occasionally seen stretching
on an India-rubber or other tree, and
the deer and bear pursue prey, or are
pursued. into the marsh. The saw
grass, where the stiffness is as oppres-
sive as within the folds of an arctic
night. and the heat as sitting as in an
African jungle, offers no inducement
for FIN, feather, scale or hoof. The
most notorious pests of this region are
the lceches. These animals are as nu-
merOus within the water as the insects
without. They do not hesitate to at
tack boot, and failing to reach the
flesh through the leather, make their
way up the limbs and bore through the
trousers. Even without the annoyance
of the countless leeches, wading in the
marsh is accompanied with great diff
culties. The moccasin and other snakes
are numerous. The mud is treacher-
GUS. and its depth uncertain. Beset by
leeches and the warm-pea below wa
ter, by snakes and alligatOrs at the sur
face, by swarming insect life above,
wading here is indeed lively, enter
tanning and full of incident William
Hosea Ballou. in Harper's Weekly.
Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1887-04-14
APPLIED ASTRONOMY.

He took me out to see the stars,
That astronomic bore;
He said there were two moons near MARI
While Jupiter had four.
I thought of course he'd whisper soon
What fourfold bliss 'twould be
. To stroll beneath that fourfold moon
On Jupiter with me.
And when he spoke Of Saturn's ring,
Twas convinced he'd say
That was the very kind Of thing
To offer me some day.
But in . tangent on he went
To double stars. Now that
Was NEST suggestive. SO content
And quite absorbed l sat.
But no, he talked dreary mess,
OF which the only fraction
> That caught my fancy, confess,
Was mutual attraction"
L said thought 1t very queer
And stupid altogether,
For stars to keep SO yery near,
And yet not come together.
AT that he smiled, and turned his head;
thought he'd caught the notion;
He merely bowed goodnight and said,
Their safety lay in motion.
Esther b. Tiffany, in Century.
Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1887-04-14
Oyster Culture in Europe.

Oyster production. although carried
on to large extent in France. is not
yet profitable investment. The rea-
SON is that the rates for transportation
from the oyster-beds are too high. In
Array. for instance. oysters are worth
Of per 1000; in Paris they cost more
than 5Of An attempt is being made
to secure transportation at less cost.
A movement is on foot in the North
Sea towns of Germany for promoting
oyster culture along the coast, sup
ported by Government grants. At
present there are 81 banks in the North
Sca-viz., 26 at Fano. ROmo and Sylt,
and Is at Fohr, Amrum and Hal
Iingerne. In the Baltic, on the
other hand, all attempts At oyster
culture have failed. '.Holstein'
or .Flensburg" oysters-considered
the best in Germany-are really
English or Dutch. All the Ger
man oyster-banks are the property Of
the State, and leased to private indi-
viduals.-N. Y. Post.
Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1887-04-14
THE SHIPS OF YORE.

Contrast BetWe0u he Merchant Marine q
Last Century and To-Day.
There was a poetry in the dress of
the people who had the handling of the
big Indian ships which you will not get
out of the brass buttons and two-penny
cuff-rings of the contemporary skipper
and mate. Nowadays it is almost i'm
possible to tell the difference between
the rigs of the merchantile captain, the
dockmaster, the customs man and the
harbormaster. But what do you say to
blue coat, black velvet lapels, cuffs
and collars with bright gold embroid-
cry. waistcoat and brooches of deep
buff, the buttons of yellow gilt, cooked
hats. side arms. and SO forth? What
dress has done for romance ashore we
know. Pull off the feathercd hats and
high boots, the magnificent doub-
lets and diamond buckles of many Of
these gentlemen of olden times, who
show very stately in history, and but
ton them up in the plain frock coat of
to-day, and who knows but that you
might not be diverted with a process
sion of very insignificant objects? In
the pOetical days of the sea profession
the ships very honestly deserved the
dignity they got from the gilded and
velvety figures that sparkled on their
quarter decks. Over no nObler fabrics
of wood did the red ensign ever fly.
They went manned like line-of-bat-
tie ship. Observe this resolution arrived
at by the Court of Directors (Hon. Z.
L CO. held the 10Th of October. 1871:
THAT ship of 900 tons do carry 10
men; 1000 ditto. 12O; LOO ditto, 125;
1900 ditto, $780," Were not those fine
times for Jack? How many of a crew
goes to the manning of 1.2OO-ton
ship nowadays? And it is proper to
note that of these 100 men, there were
only 10 servants, i. G., q captains
steward, ships steward. and men to
attend to the mate, surgeon, boat
swain. gunner and carpenter. Con-
trast these with the number of walters
who swell to the ships company of our
5.000ton mail boats. Those vessels
went armed, too, as befitted tho
majesty of the bunting under which
old Dance had gloriously licked Johnny
Crapaud The bigger among them
carried 80 eighteen Founders; they
were all furnished with boarding net
tings half-mast high and close round
the quarters The chaps in the tops
were armed with swivels, musquetoons,
and pole axes. In those romantic times
the merchantmen saw to himself
There were no laminated plates formed
Of iron one removed only from the ore
betwixt him and the bottom Of tho
ocean; he sailed in hearts Of oak. and
the naval page Of his day resounds
with his thunder. The spirit Of that
romantic period penetrated the ladies
who were passengers. = Gent1emds'e
Nagozine.
Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1887-04-14
EuRoPE.s NAvlEs.
The Nations Owning Gigantic vessels
Armed With Powerful Gune.

Armed With Powerful Guna.
The minor naval powers are falling
more or less completely out of the lists
of naval competition. Spain and POr-
tugal have ceased to be and Greece
has not become of any naval inn
portance. Spain. alone making some
small effort to keep respectable. hut
even that effort is chiefly expanding it
self. as that of the United States ia
about to expend itself. by the by-in
the production Of very fast vessels.
which may be useful in preying upon
commerce. but which are scarcely lit to
fight even pirates. and which real
war-ship would dispose Of with sim
gle round Of her battery fire. They
will be efficient in running away. NO
doubt, when danger arises. but ''run-
ming away was not the method by
which the United States won naval dis
tinction. nor that by which Spain once
became great and Greece immortal.
The naval police of Germany is de-
fensive; she is almost without pre-
tensions upon the open sea- Turkey is
slowly but surely succumbing to Russia,
and in the near future the Russian
Black Sea fleet will hold unquestioned
mastery over Turkey. Italy has a
naval role of her own to play in Eu-
rope, and on the whole is playing it
well. Austria would do we'll to hesitate
in her present naval condition before
again exposing herself to the swift and
destructive onslaughts which the
tremendously armed and excessively
fast Italian ships could make upon her.
France is a really great naval power.
and there are circumstances which
would make a naval conflict between
her and England one of the most uncer-
tain in the history of the world. The
French have very largely abandoned
the protection of their guns by
armol; we, most unhappily. have still
more largely abandoned the protection
Of our ships, and it remains to be seen
which has been the most foolish. In
such a conflict the French would
have this advantage over England
The overthrow of their guns or the
destruction of their gunners at them
would not prevent their ships them
selves from withdrawing from &C
ton and repairing their in
juries. What would become of our
Ajaxes, Agamem9ons. our Colling-
woods and Benbows (both these latter
with guns as much exposed as the
French. by the by) when their long
fragile ends had been smashed and
water-logged, and their high speed
consequently gone, is question which
l prefer not to speak Of further There
was, there is. there ever will be but
one sound policy for a nation
that desires to command the seas,
and can afford to do so, and that is
to reject all doubtful fads, all
dangerous fancies. and to insure with
out ceasing pronounced superiority
in every known and measurable cle-
ment of naval power. New inventions
will and must be made; new sources of
power, new means Of attack. will and
must be discovered; but these things
take time and money and skill to de-
velop, and that power is the greatest
and safest which from time to time and
always prefers the thing which must
succeed to that which may. and which
others fear will. fail in the hour of trial.
J. Reed. in Harper's Mag
dziae.
Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1887-04-14

W ashington spiders have discov-
cred that game is plentiful near the
electric lights which illuminate the
public buildings. In consequence their
webs are SO thick and numerous that
portions of the architectural orna-
mentation are no longer visible, and
when torn down by the wind. or when
they fall from decay. the refuse gives .
dingy and dirty appearance to every
thing it comes in contact with. Not
only this. but these adventures take
possession Of the portion of the ceiling
OF any room which receives the illu-
mination.
Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1887-04-14
NOME. FARM AND GARDEN.

Don't forget the daily allowances
q salt-M +. Raymer.
Why leave stains on Guns and
saucers-the dishes most often stained
when these may be removed by rub
bing with ashese
Nobody has seen ground narrowed
too much for the preparation of wheat,
for it Is hardly possible to get too fine
filth.
TO find out the faults Of YOUR
horses. offer them for sale. To learn
the good qualities Of other mems
horses try to buy them.
DO not use fertilizers too lavishly
on potted plants. A small quantity
applied frequently is better than full
allowance at one time.
The great object in feeding Is to
make the most gain with the least cost.
You must therefore have your hogs
grow and fatten at the same time.
Make your hot-bed frames in SEC
lions. SO that they can be stored away
when not in use. It is much better
than allowing them to remain on tho
ground to become useless
Use the brush freely upon your
animal. A good stiff brush is the
proper thing. When q horse coat
shines. your mind will be at ease. and
when it is rough and stands on end.
you may be sure the horse is suffering.
Prairie Farmer.
1t is not good policy to dry hay to
brittleness before drawing it from the
meadow, for that causes waste in hand
ling and reduces quality. Grass is
well-cured when it will rattle lightly
in the handling. and then is the time
to store Western Rural.
In beating cake beat from the bot
tom of the mixing bowl with a wooden
spoon. bringing it up full and high
with each stroke, and as soon as the in
gradients are fairly and smoothly mixed
stop beating. or your cake will be
ought--BOston Budget.
-Buttermilk Mullins have
but to be tried to become a standing
breakfast dish. Beat hard two eggs
into a quart of buttermilk; stir in
flour to make thick batter-about q
quart-and lastly q teaspOonful of
salt and the same of soda. Bake in a
hot oven in well-greased tins. Muf-
fins of all kinds should only be cut
just around the edge. then pulled open
with the fingers. Good Housekeeping.
Baked Eggs-Put tablespoonful of
butter in a pie-piate. and set in the
oven until it melts and begins to
smoke. Take it to the table and
break six eggs one by one into a cup.
pouring each in turn into the melted
butter carefully. Sprinkle with pep
per and salt put tiny bit of butter
ON each and set in the oven to bake
until the eggs are ''set," that is. when
the whites are firm and the yelks
skinned over, but not hard. Four
minutes in a quick oven should do
this. Send to table at once If you
have few spoonfuls of nice chicken
gravy you can strain and use it instead
of butter.-The Household.
Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1887-04-14

"A bill to promote the cultivation
of oysters and other shell-fish in North
Carolina waters has passed both
branches of the Legislature of that
State and become law. The bill al
lows the taking up of vacant bottom in
the middle of the wider sounds, where
public beds do not exist as vacant
lands are taken up. The measure is
intended to greatly enhance the oyster
interest in the employment of labor and
capital. This action is regarded as a
progressive step. and one of much ma
terial importance to the whole State.
Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1887-04-14
CHANGES or COLOR.

CHANGES OF COLOR.
Accordaaes With Its knvireansats.
There Is . tiny crustacean. the
chameleon shrimp. which can alter its
hue to that of any material ON which it
happens to rest. On sandy bottom
it appears gray or sand colored; when
lurking among sea-weed it becomes
green. or red. or brown, according to
the nature of its momentary back
ground. Probably the effect is quite
unconscious, or at least involuntary,
like blushing with ourselves-and mo-
body ever bushes ON purpose. though
they do say . distinguished poet
once complained that an eminent
actor did not follow his stage direc-
tons because he omitted to obey the
rubrical remark: "Here Harold pur-
pies with anger" The change is pro-
duced by certain automatic muscles
which force up particular pigment
cells above the others. green coming
to the top on a green surface. red on a
ruddy one. and brown or gray where
the circumstances demand them.
Many kinds of fish similarly alter color
to suit their background by forcing
backward or forward certain special
pigment cells known as chromato-
phores, whose various ordinations pro-
duce almost any required tone or
shade. Almost all reptiles and am
phibians possess the power of changing
their hue in accordance with their en-
vironment in very high degree; and
among certain tree toads and frogs it
IS difficult to say what is the normal
coloring. as they vary indefinitely from
buff and dove-cOlor to chocolate-brOwn,
rose and even lilac.
But of all the parti-colored reptiles
the chameleon is by far the best known,
and on the whole the NEST remarkable
for his Inconsistency for cOloration. Like
lacertine Vicar of Bray, he varies
incontinently from buff to blue. and
from blue back to orange again, under
stress of circumstances. The mechan-
ism of this curious change is extremely
complex. Tiny corpuscles of different
pigments are sometimes hidden in the
depths of the chameleon's skin, and
sometimes spread out on its surface in
an interlacing network OF brown or
purple. In addition to this prime col
oring matter. however, the animal also
possesses normal yellow pigment,
and a blush layer in the skin which
acts like the iridium glass SO largely
employed by DR.. Salviati, being. seen
as straw-colored with trans
mitted light, but assuming faint lilac
tint against an Opaque absorbent sur
face. While sleeping the chameleon
becomes almost white in the shade, but
if light falls upon him he slowly dark
ems by an automatic process. The
movements of the cOrpuscles
are governed by opposite nerves and
muscles which either cause them to
bury themselves under the true skin,
or to form an Opaque ground behind
the blue layer, or to spread out in a
ramifying mass on the outer surface,
and SO produce as desired almost any
necessary shade of gray, green. black
or yellow. 1t Is an interesting fact
that many chrysalids undergo precisely
similar changes of color in adaptation
to the background against which they
suspend themselves, being gray on a
gray surface. green on a green one.
and even half red and half black when
hung up against pieces of parti-colored
allen, in C0rsahiU Nag
Qziue.
Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1887-04-14

The Marquis of Lorne has written
another poem He makes ..smils''
rhyme with ''boil," and so the world
rejoices that another poet i born to
England. Brooklyn EGlb
Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1887-04-14

When Mr.. Stanley made his MEM
orable journey of 999 days across the
continent of Africa, in the course Of
1900 miles he never saw the face OF
Christian, nor of man who had had
IN opportunity to become one
The Waco daily examiner. [volume] (Waco, Tex.) 187?-1888, 1887-04-17
Ihc >ncngcrlc,,i:ndrd.

Special dispatch to The Examine,
san ANTONIO, April ia bust
ness session of the Saengcriost dele
gates was held to-day Mt Turner
Hall with ali the soclelios represented.
In. the absence of President G.
SchwarH, Mr.. W. \. b. Carnitus, was
unanimously chosen to act in his
stead Secretary Jesuss was also alb
sent and DR.. - Berghamwas chosen to
ill his place. Austin was unani-
mouSly chosen rs the place where the
next Saengcrtcst would be held there
being no other nominations. The
following new officers were then
elected Tor the year; President. G. II.
Mueller, OF san Antonio; secretary
William SChuOurt, OF san
Antonio, treasurer, Ferdinand
lleril Jr. OF san Antonio. The body
then passed vote of thanks to those
who conducted the management OF
the festival; to the ladies of san AM
tonic, aud the citizens In general
especially To the German portion
The body also resolved TO serenadc
Gen Stanley this afternoon in apprc-
citation of the courtesic~ extended ia
the festival by him. a grand bail i,
i'll progress tonight at Casino hall.
The Waco daily examiner. [volume] (Waco, Tex.) 187?-1888, 1887-04-17
It Is To Be H0DGl

mat those persons who know
themselves TO br indebted TO
lis will call AT the market at
once and settle with cash or
by note, a. we intend leaving
within short time for Cali.
fornia. and must have our
books closed without delay.
We expect topay every dollar
of our Indebtedness before we
go, and hope those who owe
us will he aS good TO u~ as we
purpose being to Those whom
We owe, and don't forget
rhat You can get a bar.
gain or bargains of us by
calling and seeing what We
"avc TO offer. our market
business is a bargain We
have fine large carriage, "A
band wagon, suburban prop,
crty TO sell; the Driving Park
TO rent for three to five years.
and 200 head Of fat beef steers
corn frd-to sell within the
next ten days, or TO ship. CAN
and >ce ua.
SANEoEp Johnson.
The Waco daily examiner. [volume] (Waco, Tex.) 187?-1888, 1887-04-17

l'rro this time the honors seem TO
bc about evenly divided between pro.
hlbiriouists aud Observation-Disclosures,
so tar as the adhesion ofthe eminent
men OF the state are concerned This
j. All anomalous situation and read
rs any similar condition has always
been. so far, in TIE world's history, it
would Indicate fight OF more than
ordinary yirulence, strength and earn
cstness. The fact is, the state now is
tolerably evenly divided on pro-
hibition. What 1t will be when the
auti.prohibition campaign is fully
organized and at work, we cannot, OF
The Waco daily examiner. [volume] (Waco, Tex.) 187?-1888, 1887-04-17
BUSINESS is picking up.
BLAINE is well again.
Go TO church to-day.


From thu Savasota Tablet
senator Coke places himself in a
peculiar attitude. In recent letter
he declares himself conscientiously
and constitutionally opposed to pro-
hibition, but says that for the reason
that tho democratic state convention
at Galveston declared that such n
measure WAS not undemocratic, he
would not take the stump against it.
Mother il autiprombition updcmo-
cratic, and therefore the senator
would not compromise his icalty to
the party by following the dictates of
his conscience. While we favor pro-
mbition, aud will do all IN our power
to assist in the passage OF the amend =
mcnt. at the same time, we want to
see every public man in the state on
one side or the other OF the question,
without resorting to tcchnicalitics to
remain in aud secure office.
The Waco daily examiner. [volume] (Waco, Tex.) 187?-1888, 1887-04-17

FROM the MeNia Ledger
Senators Coke and Reagan are both
plain and out-poheu in their positions
on the prohibition question, and we
AZ mlrc them for it, but since they are
recognized teachers in governmental
affairs we nrc unable to see how they
can consistently keep out of the cam
paign. lfthcy are leaders, let them
lead and not follow.
The Waco daily examiner. [volume] (Waco, Tex.) 187?-1888, 1887-04-17
nnIIn. nnmd, NumoIA

special Dispatch to The ENaminDn
DALLAS. April lG.-Mondey is the
day for Mr.. ". C. Cannon to be
sworn in rs mayor of Dallas Provi-
dence and Ed. smith permitting.
Eastern capitalists are instructing
their agents here, by letter and by
wire, not to invest in city bonds until
the contest is settled,
The girl found drowned NJ Nc.
Comas' blum Yesterday WAS an inmate
of the poor farm Her name was
Nancy sutton and she came here
from Arkansas.
The Waco daily examiner. [volume] (Waco, Tex.) 187?-1888, 1887-04-17

Fiom the Fort Worth Gazette
The Houston Post observes that
North Texas journalism is indeed
progressive" fhe Post, ever wide
awake, will also observe that "shrivci.
ed locnism" llourishes in this "blacl;
waXey' soil, which of other crops
produces nothing shriyelcd. Even n
trausp lantation from sand to the
"black waXey" becomes shrveled in n
short time.
The Waco daily examiner. [volume] (Waco, Tex.) 187?-1888, 1887-04-17

From the San Antonio Time.
Twenty six out ct the nincty-seVen
collectors Coy. Ross heard from,
were in favor OF pOstponing the coll
lection of taxes. BE it said to the
credit of Capt. j. > Ramsay. collector
of BeXar county, he was one OF the
twenty-siX In other words, Capt.
Ramsay believes there are considcra-
tons OF greater weight than fees that
ought to actuatc county officials.
The Waco daily examiner. [volume] (Waco, Tex.) 187?-1888, 1887-04-17

From thu Austin ~Wtu.mlu
Dr. Gilbert. in yesterdays issue of
Texas ridings, takes rs his sermon,
"Prohibitiou can only be enforced by
moral suasion.' From this the doc
tor breaches sermon, claiming the
old and new testament both advocate
the use OF stimulants in moderation.